Economic Lows Lead to Fantastic Highs

Ever notice how during this economic recession, television shows have edged away from the more
middle-class sitcoms of the 1990s and early 2000, and towards the lives of the ridiculously wealthy? Shows such as One Tree Hill, Malcolm in the Middle, Friends, and Fraiser have given way to Gossip Girls, Beverly Hills 90210, and even the crime drama Castle. Although the dramatic tensions may be the same, the focus of the latter series is people who are financially secure, and are able to engage in flights of fancy. Even Richard Castle is a successful writer is able to assist the NYPD with murder mysteries, but he does not do it for the money. He was asked to do it, offering his own insight as well as gaining first hand material for his books. This shift of perspectives can be attributed to the belief that the consumer does not wish to see a show about him or herself i. e. the son of a single parent who has to work his butt off to ensure a basketball scholarship. Instead the consumer wants to escape into a world of fashion, partying, and mystery. The audience wants to emerge itself into a universe that makes it forget its troubles for an hour, and experience the so-called fabulous life vicariously.